News & Notes: Aug. 17

High school hosts showcase of new wing

Whitefish Bay - The School District will host a showcase and dedication for the public to tour their new music wing and see the upgrades made to the nearly 80 year old Whitefish Bay High School on Aug. 21. Tours will be led by high school students, community members and students will perform, and there will be a scavenger hunt through the remodeled areas. The new and remodel features an atrium area, new science and engineering classrooms and laboratories and a new music wing. High school Principal Bill Henkle said, "We are pleased to be able to show the public the recent improvements to the building." Anyone wanting more information or wishing to volunteer to help should contact Sarah Freeman at (414) 332-1364.

Police cracking down on impaired motorists

Brown Deer - The Brown Deer Police Department will join other law enforcement agencies throughout Wisconsin and the rest of the nation for the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" crackdown on impaired motorists from Aug. 19 to Sept. 5.

Drunken driving continues to be one of the most destructive and deadly crimes in Wisconsin. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, last year, 220 people were killed and more than 3,500 were injured in nearly 5,800 alcohol-related traffic crashes. There were more than 40,000 convictions for drunken driving in Wisconsin last year.

Drunken driving is entirely preventable. During the upcoming "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" crackdown and throughout the rest of the year, the goal is not to arrest more drunken drivers but save lives and prevent injuries, working to achieve the ultimate goal of reducing the number of preventable traffic deaths to zero in Wisconsin.

District's 2011-12 levy, budget to be presented next month

Fox Point - Electors living within the Fox Point-Bayside School District will have an opportunity to vote on the proposed 2011-12 property tax levy at the annual meeting next month.

According to preliminary information, the district is anticipating a 6.62 percent decrease in the levy, the district's largest source of income. In 2010-11, the district had taken in $9,722,998 through the levy; this year, projections have it set at $9,079,513.

The entire budget for the upcoming school year is more than $11 million, based on projections.

School Board accepts resignations and hires staff

Brown Deer - At special School Board meetings on Aug. 9 and 16, the board accepted the resignations of Brown Deer Middle School technology education teacher Jeff Thielke, high school math teacher Nicole Donohue and Kathy Seyfert, a kindergarten teacher who has been on a long-term child rearing absence.

The board also hired the following staff: Barbara Balistreri, 0.40 art teacher for Dean School and Krist Bunker, a 0.48 art teacher for Dean School; Winnnie Hyebsch, a 0.75 director of literacy; Justin Nies, a 0.50 4K teacher; Katie Shorer, a 0.60 theater teacher for the high school.

The following full-time positions were filled: Amber Montague, social worker for Dean; Ryan Schaufler, middle school special education; Michelle Kutz, high school marketing and business teacher; Kelly Moore, high school guidance counselor and Sharonda Robinson, a reading specialist for Dean School.

Fox Point-Bayside offers free, reduced lunches

Fox Point - The Fox Point-Bayside School District has announced its policy pertaining to children within households unable to pay the full price of meals served under the National School Lunch Program.

To apply for free or reduced-price meals, households must fill out a required application and submit it to the school the child attends. Information furnished on the application determines eligibility and may be verified at any time throughout the school year by officials.

An administrative assistant will review all applications and make a final determination of eligibility. Parents have a right to make a final appeal of any denials by contacting District Administrator Rachel Boechler at (414) 247-4164 or writing her at the district office at 7300 N. Lombardy Road, Fox Point, WI 53217.

Mequon Police, DNR holding hunter safety classes

Mequon - The Police Department is sponsoring a hunter education class with staff from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Classes meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, from Aug. 30 to Sept. 27, in the lower training room on the east side of the Mequon Police Station, 11300 N. Buntrock Ave.

The class is limited to 30 students. For information, call officer Dennis Guttmann at (262) 242-3500.

FP-BS School Board OKs new whistleblower policy

Fox Point - The Fox Point-Bayside School Board on Monday approved an employee protection, or whistleblower, policy that will go into effect this school year.

The policy was enacted at the recommendation of the firm auditing the district's financials. Reilly, Penner & Benton stated such a policy could be beneficial in the event an employee needed to report a known breach of ethics or law. The policy is designed to protect an employee from retaliation when reporting any such incident.

Employee grievance policy under review in FP-BS

Fox Point - District officials are in the process of reviewing a grievance policy as a first step in the drafting of an employee handbook. The policy under review outlines how employees can express concerns about such issues as workplace safety, discipline and termination.

The School Board approved a first reading of the policy Monday and will act on a finalized version next month.

While Fox Point-Bayside has a collective bargaining agreement in place for teachers in 2011-12, the grievance policy is being created in accordance with state law. According to Act 10, districts across the state need to have a grievance policy in place by Oct. 1.

School Board accepts gift to be displayed at Stormonth

Fox Point - The Fox Point-Bayside School Board on Monday approved the donation of a painting in honor of Marta Bach that will be displayed at Stormonth Elementary School.

Bach was a longtime instructional aide in the district. Brigit Bach, a relative of Marta's, had created a acrylic portrait depicting flowers and butterflies in Bach's honor.

Six new teachers join Shorewood School District

Shorewood - The School Board last week approved hiring six new teachers in the district: Eva Gulotta, a speech and language pathologist, Lauren Croix, an academic support teacher at the high school, Renee Glembin, high school English, Nathan Schultz, sixth-grade teacher, and Jacqueline Theiler, high school family and consumer education. Gulotta is replacing Holly Armato; the board approved her retirement last week as well.

Substitute teacher salaries increase in Shorewood

Shorewood - The School Board last week approved the raising of substitute teacher salaries from $80 to $100 a day for 1 to 19 days and from $90 to $115 for 20 or more days. These pay raises make Shorewood more competitive with the surrounding school districts, as Shorewood's previous pay rates were the lowest compared to other schools in the North Shore.

Thiensville changing time for Village Board meetings

Thiensville - The Village Board changed the start times for the monthly Committee of the Whole and Village Board meetings to 6 p.m. effective in September. Both meetings had begun at 7 p.m.

Village, district to divide cost of relocating electric line

Shorewood - It cost $18,500 to move a streetlight electric line found in the middle of the Lake Bluff Park project area during recent construction. The School District had it moved but asked the village for assistance with the additional cost.

The village, which previously contributed $225,000 toward the project, agreed to split the cost of relocating the line and will reimburse the district for $9,250.

Board agrees to amended lease agreement

Whitefish Bay - The Village Board approved an amended lease agreement with U.S. Cellular. The company is replacing its antennas on the village water tower and will pay $36,000 a year to lease its space.

Village Attorney Chris Jaekels said the village has been working to get all tenants on the tower paying the same lease amount and has reached updated agreements with almost all of them.

Rite Hite YMCA branch preschool registration

Brown Deer - Registration for preschool programs at the Rite Hite Family YMCA branch is under way. A number of classes and activities are available for children ages 2, 3 and 4.

For information, call Kelly at (414) 357-2835.

Police chaplain earns master level certificate

Brown Deer - The Rev. Janis Doleschal, a volunteer chaplain with the Brown Deer Police Department since 2000, was recently awarded the master level certificate by the International Conference of Police Chaplains.

The Master Chaplain designation is the highest level of police chaplaincy and requires the following qualifications: law enforcement chaplaincy for at least 10 years, a total of 35 continuing education units, completion of the 12 basic ICPC core courses, letters of endorsement from the chaplain's ecclesiastical agency and from the sponsoring law enforcement agency, and successful completion of an ICPC review board.

There are currently two volunteer chaplains serving the police department, Doleschal, the former pastor at Brown Deer United Church of Christ and now the pastor at Trinity UCC in Brookfield and Chaplain Gil-Ezer (Glenn) Lerer, rabbi at Temple Menorah in Milwaukee.

Chaplains serve the police department by assisting officers in helping residents during especially stressful events such as making death notifications, and by serving as chaplains to the members of the department.

Board approves hiring two fire department members

Thiensville - The Village Board approved the hiring of LaSundra Beard and Jason Katz to the Thiensville Fire Department.

Beard, of Thiensville, is a registered nurse and Katz, of Glendale, is a firefighter and EMT-paramedic.

Board OKs use of village streets for Concordia parade

Thiensville - Concordia University has been permitted to use Main Street from 6 to 7 p.m. Oct. 13 for the school's annual homecoming parade. During the hour-long stretch of time, participants will be heading southbound, into Mequon, and stopping at Mequon City Hall.

An alternate rain date of Oct. 14 also was approved.

Village Ace Hardware moving office and storage space

Glendale - Village Ace Hardware will renovate and use space at 6250 N. Port Washington Road for office and storage space. The office and storage space will replace an insurance agency office at the site.

The building also has a Benjamin Moore retail shop called Village Paint and Design.

Village Ace Hardware also will continue to operate at its 6240 N. Port Washington Road location.

The combined sites will have a maximum of eight employees working at any one time.

Local Families invited to host exchange students

STS Foundation continues to seek homes for foreign exchange students. These are some of the students who hope to be placed with a local family:

Laura, who is 16, comes from Finland. She lives with her Mom, Dad and 12-year-old sister. Her mom is a communication consultant and her dad is a surgeon. She is close to her family and they spend a lot of time together eating, watching movies or chatting. Laura is a very energetic, positive and outgoing girl. Her two main hobbies are golfing and dancing. She considers herself very sporty and also enjoys soccer and basketball. Laura also loves photography. Her teachers say that she will be a great ambassador for her country and that she always has a smile on her face.

Greta is 15 and comes from a small town near Frankfurt, Germany. She lives with her parents and 18-year-old brother. Greta's mom is a librarian and her dad is a teacher. Greta loves ballet, dancing, singing and playing the piano. Her whole family is very musically oriented and they each play an instrument. Her school specializes in music. They perform musicals in which she acts and sings. Greta also enjoys meeting her friends or going shopping with her mother. Photography is another passion.

Call Dave Keating for more information at (800) 522-4678 or simply fill out a host family application on our Web site at stsfoundation.org.

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